By By TOM NYHUIS / Niles Daily Star
BERRIEN SPRINGS - Running into a hot shooting team spelled disaster for Buchanan's varsity basketball team Tuesday night at Berrien Springs High School.
The Shamrocks, 11-2, 8-1 in Lakeland, hit a smoking 80 percent from the field in the first half, leading up to the 63-45 victory over the Bucks.
Berrien led 30-11 midway through the second quarter and closed out the half with a 20 point lead, 40-20.
Berrien nailed all five of their 3-pointers in the first half with Shelby Wood canning three.
Wood finished the game with 16 points and Matt Demler had a team high 17 for the Shamrocks. Wood also pulled down eight of Berriens 32 rebounds.
"We lacked a little intensity most of the first half," Buchanan coach Reid McBeth said of his teams effort. "We had a lack of energy in the lockerroom before the game and we came out with that same lack of intensity. You couple that with the way they were shooting the ball and it wasn't a good combination."
Buchanan's offensive spark came from Jeff Kyles who scored a game high 23 points and pulled in six boards to lead the Bucks. Buchanan was able to pull in 24 rebounds against the taller Shamrocks.
Buchanan, now 8-8, 6-4 in the Lakeland, made a run at the Shamrocks in the third quarter after falling to a 44-22 deficit to start the period.
In a three minute stretch, the Bucks ran off a 14-2 run and cut the lead to 12, 46-34, but that would be as close as Buchanan could cut into the Shamrocks lead. Berrien closed out the quarter leading 50-36.
"Give our kids credit they came back in the second half. We really fought back and changed the tempo of the game. We could have easily got down after falling behind by 24 to start the second half," McBeth said.
In junior varsity action Berrien Springs came away with a 60-52 win. Evan Cauffman scored 15 for the Bucks in the loss. Greg Whitehead led the Shamrocks with 17.
Berrien also took the freshmen game 64-20. T.J. Pike led the Bucks with 10 points.
Buchanan 9 20 36 45
B. Springs 20 40 50 63